Ever wonder why turkey burgers taste so great when you order them out, but are dry when you cook them at home? Restaurants often use a combination of dark and light meat to keep their burgers juicy. The good news is you get a tasty burger. The bad news? They usually come with a hefty calorie price tag. To make tasty turkey (or lean ground beef) burgers at home is not difficult, it simply takes a few easy tricks.
1. Start with the right meat. Ninety-three percent lean turkey breast offers the best blend of good health and great taste. Eighty-five percent lean ground turkey includes dark meat and a whopping 68% of its calories actually come from fat, while healthy 99% lean ground turkey is simply too lean to produce a moist burger. (For beef 90 to 93% lean is the best option)
2. Add egg and breadcrumbs to the meat for extra moistness (minced mushrooms, about 1/2 cup per pound of meat can replace the egg.)
3. Add additional seasonings for more oomph. For Southwest burgers I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, for Italian, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and a couple tablespoons of Parm. For steakhouse style burgers a dash of Worcestershire does wonders (especially with lean beef), and for moist hickory smoked taste, add ~ 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce for each pound of meat.
Makes 5 servings
Ingredients
1¼ pounds lean ground turkey
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 green onion, finely minced
1 large egg white
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Lettuce leaves
Sliced tomatoes
5 white whole-grain hamburger buns (like Pepperidge Farm brand)
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, breadcrumbs, green onion, egg white, garlic salt, and black pepper until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
2. Evenly separate the turkey mixture into 5 balls and flatten well to form burger patties.
3. Heat a grill or spray a non-stick grill pan with cooking spray and place over medium high heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook the turkey burgers about 4 minutes per each side or until just cooked through.
Marlene Says: Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 burger): Calories 290 | Carbohydrate 18g (Sugars 2g) | Total Fat 10g (Sat Fat 2.5g) | Protein 29g | Fiber 2g | Cholesterol 90mg | Sodium 510mg | Food Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 1 Starch | Carbohydrate Choices 1 | Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparison 8: Smart Points 7
